Monday miscellany: Ted's in town

"The Matrix is a system, Neo... You have to understand, most of these people are not ready to be unplugged. And many of them are so inert, so hopelessly dependent on the system that they will fight to protect it."

DENVER — The real story of this week so far is the conspiracy of all pieces of technology in the Colorado area to deny me access to the internet, and/or the Guardian's blogging software, but now that we're finally installed in a corner of the press "pavilion", which is actually a tent (above), and now that we're just minutes before the official beginning of the convention proceedings, here are some of the other stories from Denver so far today...

The much-rumoured appearance of Ted Kennedy at the convention tonight — there were questions over whether he'd be well enough to make it — appears to have been confirmed by the presence of Ted Kennedy in Denver. This will be the emotional high point of the evening, causing Clinton and Obama supporters to forget how much they hate each other, because everyone loves a Kennedy. [Associated Press]

Here's what's probably the ultimate narrative account of the Democratic primaries — a multi-part series from Politico. [Politico]

It won't please the Obama campaign that there are hardcore Hillary supporters waving banners in the streets of Denver, but the real worry, on the subject of party unity, is what Bill Clinton might say when he speaks on Wednesday. He's reportedly glum to have been given the topic 'Securing America's Future'; he's not exactly averse to ad-libbing, and today, in the New Republic, senior Clinton aide Howard Wolfson openly acknowledges the split that everyone's supposed to pretend doesn't exist. [The New Republic]

The fact that I failed to track down Joe Biden in Denver today is made somewhat more bearable by the fact that when other reporters did, all he really did was eat some ribs and shake peoples' hands. [New York Times]

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